


The Herald and Friends

by TheSassBrit



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Random & Short, Random Encounters, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 01:42:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 15,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4502970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSassBrit/pseuds/TheSassBrit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The random friendships and adventures of the Herald of Andraste. </p><p>Tessa Trevelyan thought everything would go downhill after the Conclave. The opposite happens, and she couldn't be happier to be wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Seeker of Truth

Whispers and pointing were a normal part of Tessa’s life now. 

When people weren’t whispering or pointing, they were either asking her for a favor in the name of Andraste or quickly walking away from her because she was a mage.

The only person who did neither was Cassandra Pentaghast, and she terrified Tessa.

The woman interrogated her and literally dragged her across the demon infested valley to the Temple of Sacred Ashes to close the Breach. Tessa was barely able to cast spells the whole time she was so scared. The only thing that kept her sane was Varric’s sarcastic comments. 

Tessa didn’t even want to be reminded of how despair and terror demons taunted her dreams after that.

The Herald of Andraste wanted to escape the whispers for only a moment, and that usually meant walking outside of Haven. She was still hobbling and sore from that horrible day. She honestly didn’t know what to do as an agent of the Inquisition. She didn’t really know what being the Herald of Andraste truly meant either. 

Tessa glanced over at the training soldiers nearby. Commander Cullen was standing near his troops, barking orders and leading them through the drill. Tessa recognized every move. Her brother told her about it enough in his letters. 

The mage’s eyes kept straying toward the Commander. Maker, she couldn’t figure out if she thought he was attractive or if she was just hyper aware of him because he was a Templar. He said her being a mage wasn’t an issue with him, but who knew if he was lying or not.

A heavy thud and a growl of frustration caused Tessa to turn her attention toward the practice dummies nearby. Cassandra was looking more terrifying than usual with her sword sticking out of the back of a practice dummy. Maker, she was using a wooden sword too!

The Seeker violently tugged the sword out and glanced over at Tessa. 

Deciding to diffuse the obvious tension surrounding the warrior, Tessa cleared her throat. “I think you need practice dummies made of sturdier stuff.”

Cassandra snorted. “That would be nice.” She smacked the side of the sword against the dummy’s head.

“Like maybe iron.”

A sigh escaped Cassandra’s mouth instead of the laugh Tessa was aiming for. 

“Did I do the right thing?” she suddenly asked, turning away from her to look up at the Breach. She suddenly whipped around and hit the side of the dummy with her sword. “What I have set in motion could destroy everything I have revered my whole life.”

Tessa cautiously stepped around the Seeker to avoid being clubbed with the practice sword and she pondered what she said. The Seekers were the Chantry’s agents to keep the Templars in line. Cassandra was the Right Hand of the bloody Divine. She was the definition of devout. And to start an organization that could tear the power away from everything she worked for? No wonder she was cranky.

Maker, Tessa was suddenly glad she wasn’t Cassandra and she wondered how the woman appeared to be so strong despite this revelation.

Cassandra huffed and held her sword up in a ready position, glancing at Tessa over her shoulder. “One day they might write about me as a traitor, a madwoman, or a fool,” she flicked some loose bangs out of her eyes, “And they may be right.”

Tessa tugged on her braid, biting her lip a little. Well, she was supposed to be working with Cassandra now, might as well be civil. Besides, Tessa knew she would have those fears as well if she was in the Seeker’s position. “You didn’t have any choice. No one is fixing the real problems and you were willing to take the risk.”

“Didn’t I?” Another smack to the dummy. “My trainers always said, ‘Cassandra, you are too brash. You must think before you act.’” Cassandra tossed her sword to the ground, stepping toward Tessa. “I see what must be done and I do it. I see no point in running around in circles like a dog chasing its own tail.”

Relief filled Tessa for once at Cassandra’s words. They were alike. Tessa hated beating around the bush herself and she was more willing to jump into fixing a problem headfirst instead of arguing about it. The senior mages at Ostwick called her impatient because of it, but Lydia called it determination. A sinking feeling entered Tessa’s chest at the thought of her dead mentor. 

Cassandra’s brow pinched and she sighed again. “But I misjudged you in the beginning, did I not? I thought the answer was before me, clear as day. I cannot afford to be so careless again.”

Tessa thought about the position Cassandra was in concerning herself. Tessa knew she would have pointed the finger at the only survivor of the Conclave as well. “It’s not like you didn’t have any reason to suspect me.”

Cassandra’s smirk caused her scar to quirk up. She turned and started to step toward the main part of the camp. She suddenly halted in her tracks and gave Tessa a hard stare. “You said you don’t believe you’re chosen. Does this mean you don’t believe in the Maker?”

 _That’s an odd question,_ Tessa thought. “I believe he exists.”

“That comforts me more than you know,” Cassandra admitted, beckoning to her.

Tessa quickly caught up with her and started to follow her around the camp. Rows and rows of tents covered the open areas around Haven and Cassandra was showing her where every type of soldier was staying. Tessa became nervous when they walked closer and closer to the Templar part of the camp. Would they see her as a rebel mage? Tessa had done her best to keep herself and the remaining mages of Ostwick out of the conflict and that habit never left her.

Instead of making awkward eye contact with the Templars, Tessa asked Cassandra about her life. Before long, Tessa discovered how Cassandra became the Right Hand and that she despised Nevarra. 

“What happened to your brother?” she asked and she could tell she asked the wrong question by how Cassandra’s shoulder’s stiffened. 

“I would prefer not to speak of Antony. Good day,” Cassandra answered curtly, walking away. 

That left the Herald of Andraste back where she began at the gate to Haven. 

_Note to self, never mention the brother again,_ Tessa told herself.


	2. Spirits and Apostates

“So you actually speak to spirits? And they don’t try to possess you?”

Solas’ ears turned downward at the question, reminding Tessa of an irritated cat. Tessa couldn’t blame him, but she had to know how he did what he did.

“I mean, we never learned about coexisting with spirits in the fade, only to guard against them. I don’t speak to any spirit or demon I see and that is how I guard myself against them. I always wanted to speak to the benevolent ones,” Tessa quickly explained.

It was true. She met a spirit of Compassion during her Harrowing and she was always curious afterwards, but Lydia and her friends warned her against trying things like that in case the Templars got the wrong idea.

Now, there weren’t any Templars to get the wrong idea and Tessa was more curious than ever.

Solas visibly relaxed and his ears tilted up again. “There are dangers with my wanderings. I do set wards before I sleep.”

Tessa thought about some of the ruins she saw near Haven. They usually had spiders the size of mabari near them. “Aren’t those places dangerous?”

“I leave bait for the spiders,” Solas replied with a wry smirk. 

Tessa grinned before rocking back on her heels as she thought of another question. She didn’t want to offend the apostate and she really wanted an insight into his knowledge. “What spirits do you normally meet? I met a spirit of Compassion once.”

A soft grin came to Solas’ lips at the name. “Ah, Compassion. Sometimes overzealous with its need to help. They are one of the more kind spirits in the Fade. I believe their embodiment is one of the purest, but most easily corrupted.”

The circle mage was bewildered. “What do you mean by corrupted?”

Solas held his hands behind his back and Tessa was suddenly reminded of how her teachers used to stand before they gave them a long speech. It was clear Solas thought better of himself because of his knowledge. Tessa didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed by it. 

“Some demons are benevolent spirits that have become corrupted. Their purpose is skewed and the embodiment they claim is distorted. Wisdom becomes Pride. Purpose becomes Desire. When those spirits do come into this world, the will of those around them usually lead them astray.”

Tessa had never thought of it that way. “Is that how all demons come to be? Or are there spirits that originally embody things like Pride or Desire?”

Solas’ ears perked up more and Tessa wondered how many people actually talked to him about this. “If one of the malevolent forces of an area is strong enough, a demon may form.”

“What does Compassion become?” Tessa asked, remembered how he mentioned how Compassion is easily corrupted.

Solas’ ears fell again. “Despair. They fall to it when they see they cannot help everyone.”

Both mages stood in a somber silence for a moment. 

“What stories have you come across? You said you sleep at ruins.”

“I dreamt at Ostagar and I saw the events of the Blight.”

That caught Tessa’s attention.


	3. The Maker's Game

One of the other terrifying women in Haven was Leliana. 

Tessa avoided the Spymaster when she could. The woman seemed to look straight through her when she looked at her. In other words, Leliana looked like she was planning to cut someone’s tongue out…constantly. 

Knowing this fact about the Spymaster caused Tessa to be confused to see her praying fervently in her tent. And she sounded upset. Not angry upset, but crying upset. 

And since Tessa taught lessons to the children in the Circle for years, she couldn’t resist the urge to see why Leliana was crying. 

As Tessa got closer, Leliana suddenly sat up in her kneeling position. The Herald barely heard “Is death your only blessing?” before she turned to face Tessa with a hard stare. Tear stains barely showed on the Spymaster’s face.

“You speak for Andraste, no? What does the Maker’s prophet have to say about this? What’s his game?”

Oh. She had to play the part of the Herald of Andraste again. “Well…I wouldn’t know. Your guess is as good as mine.”

Leliana sighed and stood. “The Chantry teaches that the Maker abandoned us. He demands repentance for our sins.”

Tessa knew all about that. The Circle loved to remind mages the most.

Leliana snorted in disgust, shaking her head. “He demands it all. Our lives. Our deaths. Justinia gave him everything she had, and he let her die?”

The woman was pacing now and all Tessa could do was stand to the side and watch, not knowing what to say. Ask her a question about any magical theory or healing spell, and she could answer it. Ask her about the will of the Maker? She was lost.

“I’m sorry this happened.” She knew it was a poor statement for the situation, but Tessa didn’t know what else to say. 

Leliana looked toward the tall steeple of the chantry. “If the Maker doesn’t intervene to save the best of his servants, what good is he?” A wistful expression suddenly appeared. “I used to believe I was chosen, just as some say you are.”

Tessa was overwhelmingly uncomfortable with that.

“I thought I was fulfilling his purpose for me, working with the Divine, helping people.” Leliana’s expression became hard again. “But now she’s dead. It was all for nothing. Serving the Maker meant nothing.”

Tessa chewed at her bottom lip, wondering what to say. “Maybe you have another purpose. Maybe this is his way to put you and many others on a new path?”

A sigh and a look that made Tessa feel overly naïve was her only answer. 

“I am sorry I let you see me like this. It was a moment of weakness.”

Leliana turned away, sounding more forlorn yet grim at the same time. “It won’t happen again.”

All Tessa could think about was how sad it would be to live that way.


	4. Varric Tethras

“Why did you ask him that?” Tessa asked herself for the tenth time.

She had just walked away from the Commander and she had asked where the damn blacksmith was…when it was in plain sight not even ten paces away. Tessa knew it was a poor excuse to talk to the man and she had to get over this stupid need to see him constantly.

“I swear you’re the tenth woman to randomly walk up to Curly in the past hour.”

Tessa halted in her tracks to see Varric leaning against the side of the main gate to Haven, smoking a pipe.

“Oh really? Did they ask where the blacksmith was because they’re too blind to see it?” To tell the truth, Tessa knew where the blacksmith was, but didn’t know what other excuse to use to talk to the Commander.

“Hey, you were stuck in a Circle most of your life. How many smithies have you seen?”

He did have a good point. Hopefully the Commander would write that stupid question off as a stupid Circle mage thing.

“You have a point there. I wasn’t allowed near the one we had at the Trevelyan estate.”

Not that it stopped her from going anyway. 

Varric hummed in thought before tapping the ashes from his pipe and putting it back in his pocket. “So, now that Cassandra’s out of earshot, how are you holding up? You go from prisoner to savior in less than a week. Most people would like that to happen at a slower pace.”

Tessa blinked in mild shock before trying to find the right words in her brain. The only other person who asked if she was doing alright was Josephine, and Tessa knew the woman was just being polite. “It’s…all so sudden. I’m still not even sure this is happening.”

“I can’t believe it’s happening either. And the red lyrium we saw at the Temple rings the ‘oh shit’ bell in my head. I’m still wondering how it even got there.”

Tessa scrunched up her nose at the thought of the corrupted lyrium. Even being near the stuff made her nauseous and dizzy. “What is it? How did it form?”

“Shit if I know. It turned Kirkwall’s Knight-Commander insane and she turned into a statue. You can ask Curly about it. He was standing closer to her when it happened.”

Tessa wondered who Curly was. She assumed it was Cullen but one could never know with Varric. Deciding to switch to a better topic, she bit her lip and scuffed her toe in the snow in front of her before asking the question that was burning in her mind ever since she found out Varric traveled with the Champion. “Can you tell me about Hawke? I’ve heard so much about her and I’m curious about what her friend has to say about her.”

Varric arched a thick brow. “Oh? You mean you’re genuinely curious?”

Tessa quickly started to splutter a reply before Varric huffed out a laugh. “What do you want to know?”

“Is it true she defeated the Arishock all by herself?”

The mage hoped it was true. That gave hope to other mages who wanted to learn how to fight. The fact the Champion of Kirkwall was able to defeat a 7 foot tall Qunari with only her magic excited Tessa more than anything. She remembered hearing about it at Ostwick and secretly imagining herself doing a similar feat.

“She did, not that any of us were surprised. She fights with a sword and staff, after all. She used it as an escape if anyone suspected she was a mage.”

“So that’s how she hid all these years? Fighting with a staff and a blade?”

“She also had an exceptional dwarf who was good at lying with her most of the time.”

Tessa couldn’t help but grin at that. “Is that so?”

Varric grinned as well and beckoned to her as he started to walk into Haven. “You know, you might need me to lie for you eventually. Maker knows the Seeker is going to drag me along when you go to the Hinterlands.”

Tessa frowned at that. “I’m not going to force you to come. And she can’t either, last I checked.”

The dwarf paused and looked up at the Breach. “Well, I’m still going to be the unwelcome tag along anyway. You and the Seeker will need all the help you’ll get. Besides, who’s going to make the jokes if Chuckles comes with you?”

Tessa could see herself actually becoming close to friends with Varric, and she was glad she was able to finally find something like that after this whole mess began.


	5. Lace Harding

Scout Harding has seen many things in her short time in the Inquisition. 

She saw the sky blow up.

She saw her home go to shit because of the war between the mages and Templars.

And now…a mage was the main agent Seeker Pentaghast and Sister Leliana chose. 

Harding didn’t think the mage looked like much either. The woman was pretty, with a slim, yet curvy figure and long strawberry blonde hair. She looked like the typical Circle mage; soft and naïve. Harding would be willing to bet on whether she actually knew what she was doing or not. 

Then again, Harding talked to the scouts the Herald helped save in the pass near the Temple of Sacred Ashes and they said otherwise. 

They said she was able to keep her cool and seemed genuinely concerned about everyone involved.

Harding and her men followed the Herald and her companions, ensuring no rebel mage or Templar would sneak up on them. Harding crept through the brush with her bow, watching as the Herald strode toward the crossroads with determination. Sounds of fighting started to filter through the trees. 

“Mother Giselle shouldn’t be far,” Seeker Pentaghast was saying. 

The Herald nodded, looking angrier with each step. “Why are they pulling civilians into this? Don’t they at least have the decency to stay away from people?” she growled. 

Harding almost fell off the boulder she was standing on in surprise. The Herald was pissed. The anger she heard was a complete 180 from the polite greeting she received earlier. 

“Before we find Mother Giselle, we should focus on helping the refugees first and foremost. Is that alright with you all?” Trevelyan said, glancing over her shoulder at her party. 

“Fine with me,” the dwarf replied.

The elf just nodded and Seeker Pentaghast looked impressed. 

Harding didn’t blame her. She was impressed too. Any mage she met recently either just complained about how horrible the tower was or how unfair the world outside the tower was. It seemed like the Seeker found the perfect mage for the job. 

The Herald and her party hardly needed help when they actually reached the Crossroads. 

From what Harding saw, the Herald mostly threw up barriers and put in the occasional attack, staying far away from the action as possible. What gave Harding hope was seeing her go over to Seeker Pentaghast afterwards and ask for advice. 

Harding couldn’t help but grin as she and her men walked back to the camp. 

It looks like they found someone who could possibly be just who they needed, and she could follow that.


	6. Fears

Cassandra had many fears when she reinstated the Inquisition. 

She was scared it would fail.

She was scared it would be used in the wrong way.

But one fear that was quickly disappearing was the fear her prisoner would bring the Inquisition’s downfall. 

They had been at the Crossroads for five hours now and Trevelyan never stopped moving. One moment, she was over with the healers and Cassandra discovered what Leliana found about their Herald was correct. The mage was a healer first before anything else. Her magic was also as powerful as Leliana said she was. Cassandra was impressed with Trevelyan’s barriers. The Seeker was shocked when the barrier was strong enough to almost knock a Templar on his rear end after he tried to ram her. 

When asked about it, Trevelyan sheepishly said that she never really had that type of energy before and it was probably because of the Mark. 

Cassandra wasn’t fooled. Trevelyan was a powerful mage before the Mark entered her life. 

Trevelyan also had some of the best control over her magic that Cassandra had ever seen. Solas was even impressed, and the apostate hardly showed any emotion aside from disdain or arrogance.

Cassandra’s fear almost disappeared altogether when Trevelyan walked around the whole village to talk to the people Corporal Vale mentioned. She even stopped to speak to an elf that sought them out about helping his wife. She even went as far as inspecting the man’s wife herself and making the diagnosis. 

None of it made sense to Cassandra either. Trevelyan was a noble for the first twelve years of her life, according to Leliana’s report. She was one of the top student’s at Ostwick and passed her Harrowing in a timely manner. Why was she not the arrogant snob Cassandra expected from someone with that background?

The first week in the Hinterlands was spent tracking down the Rebel mages and Templars and Trevelyan was willing to admit she didn’t know what she was doing. 

Cassandra knew this was evident in every conflict they were in. 

Trevelyan was hesitant with her attack spells, but she could throw up a barrier or assist with no trouble at all. 

Cassandra finally pulled her to the side one night at camp. “You need to trust yourself.”

Trevelyan tugged on her braid, biting her lip a little. “I know, but I only trained briefly with battle magic and I’m trying to remember the exact way to do things and-“

“Know this now, battles never go according to a plan and they never follow the rules the Circle would have taught you. Use your mind and react to the situation. That is all I can ask for…and don’t hit any of us.”

Trevelyan’s shoulders slumped slightly. “I know…I just don’t like killing. I never had to fight anyone before the rebellion. I hardly fought when Ostwick fell. To suddenly turn around and be expected to fight…”

The Seeker was secretly relieved to hear the Herald of Andraste was not one of the mages that had rebelled. 

“You didn’t fight when Ostwick fell?”

The Herald sighed, looking out toward Lake Luthias. “No. I was too busy making sure the children were safe. The Templars who didn’t rebel, a few other mages and I were able to get them out before everything became too horrible.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes as the Herald’s expression became forlorn as she continued, “We need to stop this so that doesn’t happen again.”

Yes, the fear that the Herald would bring the downfall of the Inquisition was almost nonexistent now.


	7. Agrarian Apostate

There was something about Tessa Trevelyan that reminded Varric of Marian Hawke. 

It wasn’t in the personality. Sure, Trevelyan had a sense of humor, but it was completely different from Hawke’s. Trevelyan seemed too much like a bookwormy Circle mage to be like Marian in personality.

Varric saw Hawke every time Trevelyan stopped to help the smallest person. He saw Hawke in the way Trevelyan cared about the people she was helping and was willing to put her fears aside to close those damn rifts. 

The dwarf could tell the Herald was in pain whenever she used the Mark to close the rifts, but she did it without shedding a tear or complaining. 

That, was how the two women were alike, and Varric knew people with that quality got shit done. 

And he supposed this was why he wasn’t running to the nearest ship back to Kirkwall. 

He knew others probably thought the Herald was overly naïve or soft, but Varric didn’t see that. When he saw Trevelyan’s naïve ways, he saw her determination to learn from those moments. And yes, she looked soft and girly, but she could kick ass if she wanted to. 

When Trevelyan learned of two Templars killing an elf woman’s husband and taking a wedding ring from him, she was on a mission. 

Varric couldn’t help but feel amused and slightly worried as Trevelyan stormed through the brush. They were supposed to be finding a cult that worshiped the Breach south of the Crossroads, but Trevelyan wasn’t having it. 

“They’re literally coming up with any excuse! Mistaking a shovel for a staff my arse!” she seethed. 

Cassandra sighed in disgust. “This is a waste of time. We need to get to the rift in the keep the Cult is-“

The Herald whipped around and glared at the Seeker, which was high on Varric’s list of things not to do to Cassandra. Which meant Trevelyan had more balls than he did. 

“Those men are trained—TRAINED—to know better than that!” The Herald’s hands were shaking she was so angry. “And I know you know this. We are finding that ring.”

They found the Templars, and it was the most Varric has seen the Herald attack in one sitting. Trevelyan took out one of the bastards before the other even had time to react. 

Trevelyan found the ring, which was made of wood with Dalish looking carving on it, and she stuck it in her pocket for safekeeping. They decided to set up camp before going to the keep nearby. 

Varric had to ask why Trevelyan was so upset. The question kept nagging at him and he had to find out. 

That was after he swiped Cassandra’s lunch while she ordered some scouts around. 

Feeling overly pleased with himself, Varric made his way toward where the Herald was perched on a boulder near the far side of the camp. 

“So, wanna talk about what all of that was about?” he asked, struggling to get up beside her. 

He finally settled down and tucked into the bread and cheese they packed that morning. 

Trevelyan remained silent for many moments and Varric noticed she hadn’t even touched her food. She finally sighed. “My grandfather was a Templar. My brother is a Templar. I know what a good Templar looks like. They can’t take the principles and beliefs the Order tried to teach them and use them to abuse the weak. It’s unacceptable.”

The mage brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I never realized I only felt safe around three Templars, instead of all of them.”

Varric thought about what he saw at Kirkwall. Basically, everything was shit. This was the first time Varric was hearing about it from a mage that wasn’t driven mad with the desire for justice. It was revealing a whole new side of the conflict he hadn’t heard before. “What three are those?”

“I already told you two of them. The third was the Knight-Captain at Ostwick. He was one of the ones that helped the children and the loyal mages and Templars escape.”

Varric saw how the woman beside him deflated and he knew how she felt. Everything went to shit so quickly at his own home and he was still upset about it. 

“I just…I wanted to help her because the Templars have already taken enough from the mages and each other. They shouldn’t be taking from anyone else.”

“Hold on. Do you hate Templars in general or—“

“No! I know the dangers that comes with being a mage. I know what it feels like to have support and not fear myself because of a Templar. I have no quarrel with them. It’s the ones that kill an old woman’s husband for holding a shovel that I have a problem with.”

Varric was secretly delighted this mage was nothing like Anders. 

She clearly saw the situation from both sides and he was confident she wouldn’t go on a Chantry exploding frenzy anytime soon. 

They stayed in a tense silence before she broke it. “So, why did you think it was a good idea to steal Cassandra’s lunch?”

“Just for kicks, Herald.”

“You’re going to get kicked alright.”

Varric couldn’t help but bark out a laugh.


	8. Artifact

Solas was curious about the Herald of Andraste more than anything.

She seemed genuinely intrigued when she asked about his travels in Haven. She just wanted to take in knowledge where she could and she was open to many different interpretations. 

The Herald was already discussing possible theories with him about spirits and demons, and it was better conversation than what Cassandra or Varric could come up with. 

“Will more rage and despair demons form near where battles are happening? Or do they have to be a feeling from the past?”

The Herald asked the good questions too, the ones Solas asked in his youth…longer ago than he wanted to admit. 

She never seemed afraid when she discussed spirits with him either. The only fear he saw was when she thought she offended him. It was a breath of fresh air from all of the suspicion he received from speaking about them in the past.

They were traveling along the east road, looking for an artifact he mentioned and he was surprised she was so willing to look for it. 

Her initial response, most likely for the Seeker, was to find this artifact so more rifts wouldn’t form. Less rifts equaled less demons. Less rifts also meant she didn’t have to use the Mark as often. He believed the real reason why she wanted to find it was so she could study the artifact. 

Solas couldn’t blame her for wanting to ensure more rifts didn’t form. The Mark caused her pain whenever she used it.

Occasionally, she would pull him to the side and ask what to do about it and he would try to dull the Mark as much as he could after every rift they sealed so far. 

It made his guilt about this whole situation worse. 

These people shouldn’t have to deal with this. The world was falling apart as is and he unknowingly allowed it to become worse. 

Trevelyan was different from most of the humans he had come across, making him feel a little hopeful about the situation. 

She held a compassion and wisdom he had not witnessed in many years. Solas had a feeling she would be the key to fixing this whole mess. 

They found the artifact after fighting their way through a group of demons with the Dalish Keeper. Trevelyan was fascinated with it after Solas showed her how to activate it. 

“Incredible. I’ve read about tools that can help mages manipulate the Veil, but to have one sustain its own energy to do so? It’s brilliant.” She was squatting by the crystal orb now and holding her hands close to it. A warm, green glow surrounded her hands as she tested her energy with the crystal’s. “I can feel it working with the Fade. How did you know about this, Solas? And do you know how it works exactly?”

Solas knelt down beside her, pointing to a certain area of the orb. “I believe this part is important for maintaining the energy. It may pull energy from the Veil, using it for itself.”

“And that weakens the Veil itself without fully extinguishing it and that’s how it maintains its energy after it’s activated,” Trevelyan finished, looking at the orb with wide eyes.

Solas was impressed she was able to pick up on it so quickly. “Precisely.”

“Amazing.”

Cassandra and Varric, meanwhile, were looking at the orb like it was a venomous snake. 

“I hate to dampen this, but I’m not enjoying looking at this while demon blood is ruining my boots,” Varric commented. 

Solas resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but Trevelyan did it for him. “Relax, it doesn’t bite. I’ve seen more dangerous artifacts than this at the Circle.”

She stood straight and gave Varric a teasing grin. “But you’re right. The dead demons do put a damper on this.”

They filed their way out of the cave, Trevelyan was last because she had to inspect the veil fire again, and Solas couldn’t help but feel amused. 

Who would have thought he could find a comrade in a human of all things?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tessa and Solas would geek out over history together


	9. Clover

Meeting Master Dennet was a Maker-sent comfort for Tessa. 

The smell of the stables and the farmland reminded her of the village near the Trevelyan estate and the Trevelyan stables. Tessa even went as far as halting in her tracks when she saw a beautiful Ferelden Forder with a paint coat. The mare lifted her head and whickered at Tessa and the Herald couldn’t help but step closer to her. The mare was a Ferelden Forder through and through with her strong, yet agile looking legs. Her black and white pattern was gorgeous and Tessa smiled at the white, diamond shaped patch on the mare’s black forehead. 

“You must be with the Inquisition,” a distinctive Ferelden voice called out. 

Tessa looked to see a stocky, dark skinned man walking toward them and she assumed this was Master Dennet. 

“I am,” she said, finally turning away from the mare. 

Dennet, frankly, was a stubborn Ferelden through and through. Tessa finally agreed to help the farmland somehow in exchange for horses. 

The free horse was a surprise. 

“You’ll need something better than some nob-kneed plow rider they gave you. Take that Ferelden Forder right there,” he gestured to the paint mare, “She’ll serve you well, Inquisition.”

Tessa almost fainted she was so happy. 

It had literally been over a decade since she owned her own horse. Tessa took the saddle and tack from Dennet’s daughter and saddled up the mare, barely having to remember how. 

Before she went to Ostwick, Tessa was always spending time in the stables at the Trevelyan estate. She even had her own palomino pony named Blossom. Tessa know horses. They were almost as familiar to her as magic was. 

The Ferelden Forder let out a soft nicker when Tessa held her hand out to her and she grinned warmly when the mare lipped at her fingers. Tessa reached up with her free hand and patted the mare’s cheek. “You need a name, don’t you?”

“Excuse me?”

Tessa looked back at Dennet’s daughter…what was her name?

“Yes?”

“Would you like to see how she feels on a course I set up?”

It didn’t take much to convince the Herald. She found herself in the saddle and loving it.

“Herald, we truly should be on our way to—“ Cassandra began. 

“Allow me this, Seeker. I haven’t had fun in the last two years,” Tessa retorted, kicking the mare into a canter before Cassandra could argue. She was finding it easier and easier to talk back to the Seeker every day. 

The courses were surprisingly easy and Tessa found herself getting back into the swing of riding again immediately. Tessa let out a giddy laugh at the feel of the wind rushing over her skin, causing her braid to fly behind her as the mare set out at a full gallop. 

Deciding to be cheeky at the end of the third course, Tessa led the mare toward a low fence near the Seeker and she was delighted when the mare jumped over it flawlessly. 

She halted in front of her companions, not even hiding her happiness. The mare dipped her head down and started to munch on some clover near their feet. 

Cassandra’s face was a thundercloud and she was tapping her foot in irritation. “Are you done?”

“Yes, I am. And I decided I’m going to name her Clover.”

“I would have gone with Patches, but whatever you want Herald,” Varric chuckled with a wink. 

Tessa rolled her eyes. She was just overjoyed about being able to do something normal for once.


	10. Knight Captain

Cullen knew what was going on as soon as he heard the shouting. 

There were more conflicts between the mages and the Templars at Haven every day and he knew it would reach its climax soon. He walked out of the Chantry just as a Templar was reaching to draw his blade. 

“Enough!” he barked, holding both men back.

“Knight-Captain!”

The title caused Cullen’s stomach to twist into a knot and his heart to sink. “That is not my title. We are not Templars any longer. We are all part of the Inquisition,” he growled, pointing toward mages and Templars he knew started some of the fights earlier that week. They all looked down at their feet in shame.

“And what does that mean, exactly?” Roderick’s snobby voice interjected. 

“Back already, Chancellor,” Cullen sneered, “haven’t you done enough?”

“I’m curious, Commander, as to how your Inquisition and its ‘Herald’ will restore order as you promised.”

Cullen curled his lip. “Of course you are,” he gave the Templars and mages a hard stare, “Back to your duties, all of you.”

They all scattered and that was when Cullen finally noticed the Herald of Andraste herself at the edge of the crowd. She narrowed her eyes at the Chancellor and started to walk toward them with purpose. 

“Chancellor,” she said with a forced grin. Cullen couldn’t blame her. The prig in front of him called for her death…numerous times.

He decided to cut in before the Chancellor could say anything. “Mages and Templars are already at war. Now they’re blaming each other for the Divine’s death.”

Roderick couldn’t stay quiet for long, much to Cullen’s disappointment. “Which is why we require a proper authority to guide them back to order.”

Cullen’s irritation only grew at the Chancellor’s words. The Chantry had still done nothing in the three weeks since the disaster at the Conclave. They haven’t taken in survivors. They haven’t sent aid. Nothing was being done by them. Remembering the destruction at the Temple made him speak out. “Who, you? Random clerics who weren’t important enough to be at the Conclave?”

The Chancellor’s face was turning purple with controlled rage. “The rebel Inquisition and it’s so called ‘Herald of Andraste’? I think not,” he spat.

Trevelyan cut in with a soft laugh. “I don’t know, the Inquisition seems about as functional as any young family.”

Cullen believed she was a noble then and there, even if the awkward actions he’s seen from her before said otherwise. She was clearly trying to diffuse the tension while not speaking ill of the Chantry or the Inquisition. Too bad those words would go to waste. Josephine had been trying to keep the Chancellor at bay and not even she could do something about him. 

Roderick snorted disdainfully, glaring down his nose at the Herald. “How many families are on the verge of splitting into open warfare with themselves?”

Cullen barked out a laugh with no humor. “Yes, because that would never happen to the Chantry.”

Trevelyan sneaked a small grin his way before looking at the Chancellor again. 

Cullen forced himself to look away from the delicate curve of her lips. Dammit, why did he have to realize she was attractive when they first spoke? 

The pompous arse now was standing as straight as he could with his hands behind his back, glaring at the Commander. “Centuries of tradition will guide us. We are not the upstart, eager to turn over every apple cart.”

Trevelyan’s grin quickly turned into a deep frown and her brow pinched. “Oh? And those Templars I saw in the countryside? They’re certainly doing well with following tradition. And the mages are definitely taking the Circle’s lessons to heart,” she quipped. 

The Chancellor opened his mouth to retort, but Trevelyan beat him to it. 

“I have seen both Templars and Mages kill innocent men and women. I have talked to the people who have lost fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives because of selfishness. And what has the Chantry done? Nothing. Even if I’m not the Herald of Andraste, we have to do something to help these people, since you are more willing to argue with us than help those who actually need it.”

She drew herself to her full height and even though she was shorter than the Chancellor, she suddenly seemed to tower over him. “I am willing to do what must be done, and I will be damned to the Void if I let pompous arseholes like you dissuade me. We will close the Breach and we will stop this war if it’s the last thing I do.”

Cullen was impressed. The Chancellor finally just huffed and walked away from them. 

The Herald seemed to deflate as he walked away and she pinched the bridge of her nose. “How bad is the actual conflict?” she asked. 

Cullen winced, remembering all of the reports of both mage and Templar attacks and skirmishes across the countryside of both Ferelden and Orlais. He was dreading the report from the Free Marches that was waiting for him. “The conflict is growing, but we are using any resource to stop what we can.” 

Trevelyan shook her head, and glanced up at the Breach. “Maker, and I thought my life was hard before this,” she muttered. 

Cullen opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything to help. He had to admit, he was impressed with what Trevelyan was able to do in the two weeks she was in the Hinterlands. She and her team were able to take out the main camps of Apostates and Templars and they helped many refugees in the process. She even led an attack on an old keep full of bandits. He received many reports from Corporal Vale about what she was able to accomplish and he had to admit that it was uplifting to see a mage doing everything she did. 

It gave hope to the ones not involved in the war. 

Trevelyan looked back at him again. “Cassandra wanted us to meet in the back room again. We need to plan on what I’m actually going to say in Val Royeaux.”

“Of course.”

Cullen hurried and held the door open for her. He caught the faint scent of flowers as she walked by him. 

Hold on, why was he paying attention to that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to throw tidbits of Testing the Chains in here when I can. And we all know the Commander falls hard


	11. Val Royeaux

Tessa had seen Val Royeaux once, and it was from the inside of her Great Aunt’s carriage on the way to the Trevelyan summer estate when she was six years old. 

Now, to be actually standing in the marketplace, it brought that awestruck six year old right back out. 

She wanted to visit every shop and stall, even though she knew she didn’t have the money for anything inside. One stall that sold books caught her attention and she had stopped walking without realizing it. 

“Hey Herald, we can look at stuff after you deal with the Clerics,” Varric laughed. 

Tessa gave him a playful eye roll before following Cassandra toward the square…only to hear how the Mothers from the Chantry were more than happy to tell everyone how evil she was. 

To be honest, Tessa wondered why she wanted to help people in times like this. The Breach was hovering overhead, plain to see, and they were more concerned about her than the damn hole in the sky. 

The Templars had to come and ruin everything too.

Tessa stood with Cassandra, who was staring after the Lord Seeker with utter confusion and shock. “Well, so much for getting the Templars to help,” Tessa sighed, putting her hands on her hips. 

She honestly was relieved. She would be more comfortable getting the mages to help and she knew they needed the Inquisition’s help more than the Templars did. 

“I wouldn’t count them out just yet,” Cassandra argued, brow pinching, “this not the Lord Seeker Lucius I know. He was always reasonable in the past.”

The Herald bit her lip as she considered what to do. “Well, we obviously don’t have the influence to sway him at the moment. Let’s go back to Haven and plan from there.” 

Tessa made a note in her mind to ask Leliana and Cullen what to do about the Templars. Leliana probably had the connections inside to know what was really going on and Cullen would know how the Templars thought. She hoped that if the Inquisition played their cards right, they could possibly get the Templars to see reason and help them after helping the mages. 

The curious six-year-old in her came back out after they recruited a merchant in the commons. 

Now that business was over with, Tessa finally allowed herself to explore. She was looking at a stall that sold books when an arrow lodged itself on the cart near her hand. Tessa yelped and basically threw the book she was holding as she leaped away from the offending arrow. 

“What’s that?” Cassandra hissed, glaring down her nose at it. 

Varric whistled appreciatively before looking over his shoulder. “Well, whoever shot that is long gone. And what a shot too,” he grinned at Tessa, “How you doing, Glowy?”

Tessa curled her lip at the nickname, causing Varric to snicker, and she tugged the red cloth from the arrow. To her surprise, there was a message stuck with a pin on it.

“Look for red things, huh?” she mused aloud after she read it.

“Well, this isn’t the first time weird shit has happened to you? Want to look for that stuff?” Varric asked, tilting his head as he read over her elbow. 

“Can’t hurt. They say they want to help the Inquisition. Beggars can’t be choosers,” Tessa sighed, stuffing the note in her pocket. 

She couldn’t have a normal day, could she?


	12. Red Jenny

Sera stuffed her armload of breeches in a nearby pot. Why the stuffy nobles had empty pots everywhere was beyond her, but they were handy. 

The elf peered around the column she was hiding behind to see the frigging prick throw some fireballs at the Inquisition members. Nobles with their puffy acts, she inwardly sneered, creeping toward the guard standing nearby. 

Sera quietly pulled an arrow from her quiver, gripping it near the head. She quickly stabbed it in the back of the guard’s neck, severing his spinal cord. Sera pulled another arrow out, smirking as she nocked it and aimed it toward the noble. “Just say, ‘What?’” she ordered, drawing the string back. 

“What is the-“

Wrong answer. 

Sera inwardly squirmed when the arrow connected with the man’s eye. “Ugh, squishy one, but you heard me right? Just say what? Rich tits always try for more than they deserve.”

The leader, or the person she assumed was the Herald, quirked a brow with a small grin. 

Sera knelt down, grabbing her arrow near the base. “Blah, blah, BLAH,” she tugged the arrow out, “Obey me! Arrow in my face!”

Sera steeled herself before facing the Herald. “Glad to see you followed the notes enough.”

She hoped the Herald wasn’t like the other prigs out there. The elf hoped this important person was good to the little people as well as the big ones. She hoped the Herald could answer her questions. She looked at her face…and saw a normal human. 

The Herald had big, pretty eyes, full lips, and a straight nose…she was the typical pretty girl. “And you’re…kind of plain really. All that talk and you’re just a person.”

Sera’s disappointment was quickly replaced with hopeful glee. If the Herald was just a person, then maybe all of this pish could be explained. “I mean, it’s all good innit? The important thing is you glow.”

Sure enough, the Herald’s hand had a green glow around it and Sera felt a little giddy. Maybe this person was the answer she needed.

The Herald’s lips quirked up a little as a puzzled expression came over her face. All of her companions meanwhile, looked annoyed, not that Sera gave a rat’s arse. 

“Some believe I’m the Herald of Andraste, but who are you? And what is this about?”

The Herald’s voice was even girly. It was soft and a little breathy. Sera couldn’t believe this was the person everyone was so afraid of. “I have no idea. I dunno this idiot from manners. My people just said the Inquisition should look at him.”

The Herald’s thin brow arched. “Your people?” She glanced at the elfy looking mage behind her. “Elves?”

Oh shite, the Herald was thinking of the pathetic Elfy Elves in the wild. “Ha! No. People people. The name’s Sera. This is cover. Get round it.” She gestured to the boxes. “Someone tipped me their equipment shed. They’ve got no breeches!”

Sera felt she could actually like the Herald when the woman had trouble holding back a laugh.

She liked her even more when the Herald was laughing while fighting the reinforcements. 

Maybe she wasn’t so plain after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sera is HARD to write...I apologize in advance


	13. Magic Tricks

Vivienne was shocked with the state Haven was in, but she supposed it was the best the Inquisition could do with the resources they had. 

Still, it wasn’t good enough. 

Her lip slightly curled at the small arrangements in the Chantry. It was a far cry from the large room she had at the estate, but it would have to do. 

A big roar of childish laughter sounded outside, getting a startled jump out of the Enchanter. With a huff, Vivienne slammed her book closed and marched toward the door to demand to know what was happening. 

She opened the door and was surprised to see four children surrounding the Herald of Andraste. 

Tessa Trevelyan was turning out to be everything her dear friend, Lydia, told her she was and the thought stopped the accusatory question that was about to come out of her mouth. 

The woman had impeccable control of her magic. The fact she was performing little tricks for the children and being completely at ease while doing so only proved her point. Vivienne could feel no spirits or demons approaching Trevelyan either. The Veil here was thin as is and the fact none were approaching her was incredible. 

“Make a horse!” a little girl giggled, clinging to the Herald’s leg. 

Trevelyan grinned and created a small horse from ice with a flourish of her hands. While Vivienne knew the hand movements weren’t necessary, it had the desired effect. The children were letting out sounds of awe. 

The enchanter couldn’t help but watch the Herald perform more tricks for the children. It reminded her of simpler times and she couldn’t help but smile. 

Heavy footsteps and the sound of the door opening forced her to tear her eyes away from the sight. 

The Commander of the Inquisition seemed to be dumbstruck at the sight she was watching, but she was shocked to see a small smile appear on his face instead of the scowl she was expecting. 

“You’re not going to slap her on the wrist now, are you?” Vivienne asked with a smirk. She was waiting for the moment when the Templar in the man would come out, but she had yet to see it. 

Commander Cullen’s grin instantly faded into the frown Vivienne was familiar with. “No, nor do I have the power to do so.”

“Make a mabari!” a little boy demanded, causing the Enchanter to watch the Herald again. 

Trevelyan stepped away from the girl clinging to her leg, holding up her hands in preparation. “You’ll have to help me this time. Can you all count to three?” The children vigorously nodded and started to count. Trevelyan made another flourish of her hands and even spun around this time before producing an ice mabari right as the children got to three. 

The children almost couldn’t believe what happened and were now cheering. 

Vivienne glanced at the Commander and she couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter. 

The man had it worse than she and Bastian. 

“Don’t stare too long, Commander,” she huffed, sweeping away to go back into the Chantry. 

Vivienne knew one thing as she went back to her area in the sanctuary. 

The Inquisition would be more than useful to her if there were playful Heralds and slack jawed Commanders.

The ones she would have to look out for were the Spymaster and the Ambassador. 

They would be harder to weave around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, Cullen falls hard


	14. Woman after His own Heart

Iron Bull didn’t know what to expect from the Inquisition. 

He wasn’t expecting the Herald of Andraste herself to come and meet him and his company. Oh well, opened up the perfect opportunity for information and his superiors could get off his ass.

The Herald was more than he expected, which was a surprise to him. He thought she would be a whiny mage that complained about everything…just like any other mage the Chargers have run into the past couple years. 

To his relief, that wasn’t the case. Trevelyan did everything without complaint and she had an open mind. She even asked him questions about the Qun and for his opinion when they had to deal with the bandits. She listened to everyone’s ideas and thought about her actions. If she had been under the Qun, she would have been leader material…too bad she had magic. 

She even got the most out of the situation by making the Blades of Hessarian the Inquisition’s agents on the coast. 

He knew he absolutely liked her when they reached further down the beach. 

The most incredible thing Iron Bull could think of was happening and it was a gorgeous sight. 

“Okay, that is badass!” he gasped, peeking out from behind the washed up tree they were all hiding behind. 

The High Dragon was beautiful with purple scales and yellow accents decorating her. Her horns curved forward and her fire blared bright. Her long tail whipped around like an angry cat’s would before rearing up on her hind legs. The giant didn’t stand a chance against this creature. 

“Incredible,” Trevelyan breathed. 

“We can get a closer look right?” Sera giggled.

The Seeker, Varric, and Solas gave the girls incredulous looks. 

“Let’s try not to get eaten, okay?” Varric grumbled. 

“Let’s wait. I want to see what happens,” Trevelyan suggested, watching the fight in awe. 

The Herald was a woman after his own heart.


	15. Leaders

“They’ve got good form. Cullen is putting his Templar training to good use.”

Tessa stared up at the qunari incredulously. “Did Cullen tell you he was a Templar?” She had originally approached Iron Bull to ask how he and his mercenary band were doing, but that was the first thing he said. 

“He didn’t have to. The shield may not be a Templar shield, but it’s a Templar holding it. He tilts his shield down. We teach our warriors the same thing to fight against Vints. Keeps flames or acid from hitting your face.” He flashed her a grin that was too mischievous to be innocent. “Your Templar is doing good work.”

Maker’s Balls, he saw that?! 

Tessa’s original excuse to talk to the mercenary was to get away from Commander Cullen. After she had embarrassed herself, that is. She and the Commander had reached a certain understanding, she was sure he didn’t dislike her or distrust her because she was a mage, which was a start. 

She even had a good conversation with him the day before. They talked about where he was from and she heard what being a Templar was like from a Templar…then she asked about the chastity vows. 

The fact he _**hadn’t**_ taken them stuck in her brain. 

That was a week ago, and today Iron Bull caught her staring at the Commander while she was talking to Cassandra. The women spoke while watching the soldiers train and Tessa, who never was truly interested in battles, let her eyes stray toward the Commander. 

Of course, with her luck, Cullen caught her and even gave her a grin when he did. 

And of course the Ben-hassarath spy witnessed all of it. 

Iron Bull was smirking too widely for it to be a coincidence too. “He is pretty, but you have to be more subtle than that,” he joked.

“Not a word,” she hissed, wiping a hand down her face. She didn’t need to relive that at the moment. “And yes, he is doing good work.”

“Well, the problem isn’t on the front line, it’s at the top. You’ve got no leader. No Inquisitor.”

Tessa bit the inside of her cheek. With the way everyone else in the Inquisition treated her, she may as well be the leader. Leliana gave her all her information. Josephine always informed her of the latest news in Thedas. Cullen always acted like he was reporting to a superior when they spoke at war meetings. The rest of Haven was slowly following suite and it was terrifying her. 

She didn’t want to repeat what happened at Ostwick. 

She didn’t want to be the one that failed everyone when they turned to her for help again. All of that led her to take some of the Templars and mages she was with to the Conclave, since she was the only mage fit to lead at the time. 

And that didn’t turn out well.

Yet, she had the power to close rifts. She had enough knowledge of the Game to know how to help Josephine and Leliana. She cared about what happened to Thedas because of the few people she had left to worry about in it. 

“I should lead,” she finally said, not with as much conviction she would have liked to have. 

“You? Hm, why you?” Iron Bull asked, crossing his arms. 

“No one else is. If I could do it when Ostwick fell, I can do it here.”

The qunari narrowed his eye, as he studied her. “My people pick leaders not based on skill or talent. They pick leaders who will make the tough decisions and be able to live with the consequences. Bah, who knows. Maybe once the Breach is sealed all the soldiers can go home and get fat and all of this will be over.”

Tessa let out a laugh. “You don’t actually think that would happen?”

“It won’t, but it could.”

Iron Bull suddenly grinned playfully, wiggling his eyebrow. He uncrossed his arms and started to stretch, making the muscles on his torso stand out. “You know, Boss, I really like redheads.”

“So you’ve said.”

“Do you consider yourself one?”

“Why do you ask?” Tessa arched a brow at him while crossing her own arms. Where was he going with this?

Iron Bull looked toward the blacksmith before looking back at her. “Reasons.”

Tessa followed his line of sight and saw the Commander almost stomping toward Harritt. 

“Go calm your Lion down, Boss.”

Tessa stuck her tongue out a little at him, causing him to let out a loud guffaw before she caught up to Commander Cullen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mutual pining between Cullen and the Inquisitor complete me


	16. Silence

“Commander! The Herald and Seeker! We don’t know what to do Ser!”

Cullen looked up from his desk in his tent, arching a brow at the panting soldier. The lad looked nervous and kept glancing out toward the camp. 

“What about them?” 

Was the Herald—Tessa, he had to remember she wanted him to call her Tessa—injured? 

“Just come, Ser. Please!”

That was when Cullen felt the pull of the Herald’s magic and heard the heavy ‘thwack’ of wood hitting wood. 

He strode out of his tent and marched toward where the fight was taking place. He had to admit he was impressed. Tessa whipped the clubbed end of her staff around, almost knocking Cassandra in the head. 

Both women looked furious.

They had recently returned from the Crossroads and Cullen wondered what could possibly have caused them to come to blows. 

The ground started to shake from Tessa’s spell, causing the tents nearby to become unstable. Cullen’s eyes met the eyes of Ser Aaron, a Templar, and he nodded. 

Aaron let out a wave of nullifying energy, just enough to stop the spell and cause both women to stop…only, the Herald wasn’t taking it well.

Cullen glared at the Seeker and marched forward, standing between her and Tessa. “What is going on?” he demanded. 

“The Herald—“

“I wasn’t asking her, now was I?” Cullen growled, turning back toward the Herald. 

“No,” Tessa croaked. She fell to her knees, grasping at the collar of her coat as she tried to breathe. Her eyes became too wide and her mouth was open as she tried to gasp in air. She curled into herself, resting her other hand on the ground and Cullen could see her whole body begin to shake as her fingers dug into the snow. 

At first, Cullen was confused. Silence didn’t effect mages like this. 

Cullen’s heart started to ache when the pieces finally fit together. He recognized that position. He found himself in it all the time after Kinloch. He strode forward before anyone else could and glared at the crowd that had gathered around them all. Cassandra, despite the fact that she most likely started the fight, was now staring at the Herald with an expression between irritation and worry. 

Cullen knew he would have to act fast before anyone else could know the Herald of Andraste was having a panic attack. 

Tessa was beginning to breathe too quickly and Cullen could see the beads of sweat on her face as he crouched down in front of her. 

“Herald?” Cullen slowly reached forward, trying not to make any sudden movement. He was sure she would shoot a fireball at his face if he didn’t. 

She was clutching at the collar of her coat in a white knuckled grip now and her body was beginning to tremble violently. 

Cullen lightly rested his hand on her shoulder and then she finally responded. She let out a shriek and scrambled back from him. Cullen was grasping at straws on what to do. She was looking around fervently, feeling around the powdery snow for something. Her breathing became more labored and Cullen’s heart ached more when he saw the pure terror in her eyes. 

“Tessa!”

The mage finally whipped around and glared at him. Her face softened and Cullen knew she was coming back to the present. Her eyes trailed over his shoulders and they finally met his. Her cheeks reddened and she tried to push herself up, but her body was still trembling. 

Cullen quickly reached forward and gently held her fingers in his own, standing before helping her to her feet. He looked her in the eye and he hoped she could see that he understood. He knew her pain and what was happening and he knew how ashamed he was when people found him in that state. “I forgot how much Silence can drain mages, I apologize on Ser Aaron’s behalf.”

Cullen nodded at Ser Aaron, hoping he and the other Templars nearby would get the hint. 

The man, Maker bless him, nodded and started to herd the soldiers away and the others took the hint. 

The look Tessa was giving him caused the ache in his heart to become worse, but in a different way. The gratitude there caused him to feel warm and almost giddy. Which brought him to the reason he was receiving it in the first place. He whipped around to glare at the Seeker. He knew fights were going to happen, but he gave his soldiers one rule. Take it outside the camp. He knew Cassandra was aware of this rule. 

“And what in the Maker’s name are you doing starting a fight IN my camp?!” he snarled. 

“Ugh, I was trying to prove a point. If she would listen to me when I give out tactics then—“

“That’s no excuse,” Cullen snapped, bristling with anger. Watch, now he was going to have to break up more fights because if the Seeker could do it, why couldn’t the soldiers?

“If they taught the mages properly in the tower then—“

“I only studied to be a Knight Enchanter for three months,” Tessa’s voice cut in. 

Both Cullen and Cassandra turned to look at her. She was shaking still, but her hands were balled up at her sides and she was bristling with anger. Sparks were starting to form at her fingertips. “I was forced to specialize in healing magic after that. Everything else I learned was done on my own time.”

With that, she bent over, swiped up her staff, and turned and started to stomp toward the stables, where Cullen knew she was going to hide in the stall her mare was kept in. 

He had noticed her going in there too many times to not know. 

Cullen glared at the Seeker again. “Was attacking her necessary? The dummies are right there,” he grumbled, gesturing toward the said dummies. 

“Yes, it was. She needs to realize how important it is for her to learn properly, not just improvising on the field. She’s been with us long enough now and she can begin to learn. I only let her get away with improvising before because we had more urgent matters.”

Cullen frowned and let out a long sigh. 

“And what was that about? I’ve never seen Silence do that to a mage,” Cassandra continued, glancing toward where Tessa had been kneeling. 

“That wasn’t an effect of Silence,” Cullen quipped, turning on his heel. The stables loomed before him and he could find the way to the Herald’s stall easily.

He had to know if she was alright. He knew what it was like to be alone and to have an attack like that. Someone should be there for her. 

Cullen took a deep breath before resting his arms on the stall door. 

He would have allowed himself to think she was adorable, sitting on the floor of the stall and tossing strands of hay, but now wasn’t the time. He knew asking if she was alright wouldn’t suffice…it never did. 

What did she like to do? He glanced at the mare in the stall and he felt stupid. 

Riding! She was always seen taking her mare out for a ride. 

Confidence in his idea gave him the courage to speak. “I would ask you what that was all about, but I believe you don’t want to speak of it,” he opened the stall door, reaching down, “Care to take the horses out around the lake nearby? Mine needs the exercise.”

The surprised, yet hopeful look on her face was enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tessa and Cassandra's fight from Testing the Chains in Cullen's POV


	17. Peaches

The tavern was like home away from home for Sera. 

If one wanted to hear the latest news, have a drinking contest, or get an eyeful of some women, this was the place to be. 

It was also a place of friggin’ surprises. 

Sera hadn’t expected the Herald to come by there often, being all human and glowy and magical, but she came by frequently. What really surprised Sera was that the Herald sometimes friggin’ flirted back with her. Whether it was a joke or not, Sera couldn’t tell. Not yet, at least. She noticed that the Herald made googly eyes at Commander Fancy Hair sometimes and he made googly eyes back. 

The elf had a plan to clear things up once and for all and all she needed was her mouth and a peach. 

Glowy came in like she usually did in the evening and she ordered a meal and Sera saw her chance. She plopped down in the seat across from the mage, tossing her peach from hand to hand. Sera could honestly see why people would make googly eyes at the Herald. She was friggin’ gorgeous. She had big eyes and full lips and a straight nose with a soft face. She was friggin’ nice and funny too. Sera could say she was great…for a human. 

“Hello, Glowy.”

Glowy rolled her eyes and started to eat her meal. “Hello, Sera.”

Sera waited until Glowy took a drink to strike. “So, you and Commander Fancy Hair?”

Glowy spat out her water. “What?”

“You mean you and the tosser haven’t—“ Sera started to giggle too much to talk. “Oh frig, you know he wants to, right?”

Glowy cleared her throat and scratched at her cheek. “I’m sure he doesn’t—“

“I’m sure he does! Here.” Sera bit into her peach and she knew it was her time to shine. “You can tell him how its done!” Sera was proud to say she knew how to treat a lady and it was time to see what the Herald knew. 

The Herald of Andraste’s face was beet red by the time she was done. 

“See? That’s how it’s done. I can give you another demonstration if you like,” Sera teased with an eyebrow wiggle. 

Glowy cleared her throat and let out a soft laugh. She shook her head in amusement. “Oh Sera.”

That answered all of Sera’s questions. The Herald was just flirting back to flirt back, not to make anything happen. Her real target was Commander Uptight, and Sera was okay with that. They were perfect for each other. And it would be fun to tease the shit out of them both. 

“Just make a move Glowy, he makes googly eyes at you all the time.”

Glowy’s face got even redder and she buried her head in her arms. 

Sera’s mission was accomplished.


	18. Demons and Swamps

Iron Bull hated magic and demons. 

And the last place he ever wanted to run into them was the Fallow Mire. 

The Herald was a surprise though. She usually only supported her party members in combat, but she was on a roll the whole time they were here. Bull recognized a certain type of fury in her attacks and she was on edge. Her magic didn’t have the control he heard Cassandra and Solas praising before. 

She had been that way ever since they discovered a group of soldiers had been captured to get her attention. The Avvar got her attention alright. 

Iron Bull made some conclusions from the little he knew about her past. He knew that she had to take on a leadership role after Ostwick fell, and she probably had to make many tough decisions. And, from what he knew about the rebel Templar’s tactics, this particular situation with the Avvar was probably hitting close to home for the Herald. 

He had to admit, that ferocity she was showing saved his ass at the latest rift. He and the Seeker were pulled in close to some demon that was big and had an even bigger sword. The Herald had a barrier around them and the bastard up in flames before either of the warriors knew it. Iron Bull then took that opportunity to lop the demon’s head off. 

The loud crack of the rift closing sounded throughout the clearing and Iron Bull and Cassandra collapsed by the statue in the middle. 

“Are you two alright?”

Iron Bull cracked his neck as he looked up at her. “That was a damn good fight, Boss. The way you sent that bastard up in flames at the end was—“ Iron Bull let out an appreciative whistle. 

Trevelyan gave him a tired grin and knelt beside him. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Iron Bull shrugged. “Just a little winded, Boss. Nothing to worry about.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, finally sitting down. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. You, on the other hand,” Bull paused and gave her an expectant look. 

Trevelyan’s face went blank. Damn, she had a good Wicked Grace face when she needed it. “What do you mean?”

“Hm, I don’t know. Maybe the situation with the Avvar is a little too much like the renegade Templars tactics against the mages? Wasn’t capturing children or younger mages and holding them hostage one of their tricks?”

The ‘mask’ Trevelyan put on cracked a little and she looked away. “Yes, it was.”

“What happened, Boss?”

They sat in silence for many moments, at least the damn rain had stopped for a little bit. 

“I was one of the remaining senior mages when Ostwick fell. We traveled through the Free Marches for a year and a half, trying to find a place to stay. The Templars with us begged for lyrium when they could and most of the mages were children. There were only 10 adults who didn’t rebel.” 

Iron Bull could see where this was going. Shit.

“Some renegade Templars managed to capture some of the children in the middle of the night. They dispelled most of the wards we had set up.” The Herald took a shaky breath and continued, “The Templars, two mages, and myself went to the place the renegades wanted us to meet. It was too late.”

Shit. 

Iron Bull knew the Templars usually captured mages, but children? Even if they were mages that was fucked up. 

And now he knew why Trevelyan was lashing out and losing some of that control. “Damn,” was all he could say. 

Trevelyan sighed and said, “Yeah. Damn.”


	19. My Lady

Blackwall was more than impressed with the Inquisition. 

Yes, they weren’t quite a formidable force yet, but they had the means to get there. The Warden didn’t know what to think of the Herald of Andraste when he first met her. She and her party had helped him and his ‘conscripts’ deal with bandits in almost record time. She welcomed him into her party when he offered his help and she immediately started asking him for his opinion on certain matters. 

She showed she was not only beautiful on the outside, but she was also on the inside. 

Tessa Trevelyan helped everyone, great and small. She stopped to help the refugees at the crossroads frequently and she made time for anyone who wanted to speak to her. 

Blackwall was more than happy to know he was following a person of her caliber. In Haven, she didn’t change. She still helped who she could and she always could be seen talking to one of her party members or friends. 

He knew it was too much to hope when he tried to be charming, but that didn’t stop him from trying. Surprisingly, she sought him out this time and asked his opinion on the Inquisition, and Blackwall saw his opportunity. 

“Where do you fit into all of this?”

The Herald sighed and stared up at the Breach. “I want to do my part in getting things back into order. We need peace again.”

“A worthy goal,” Blackwall commented, stepping closer to her, “and one I’m happy to support. And I must say, my Lady, I will gladly follow you anywhere.”

Tessa tilted her head with a smile. Maker, she had the type of smile that could brighten anyone’s day. “You’re oddly charming, for a man I found wandering in the forest,” she said, holding back a laugh. 

Blackwall cleared his throat and stood up straighter. “I always found myself more odd than charming, but I’ll take a compliment from a lady. They’re hard to come by these days.”

A soft snort escaped from her and her smile grew. “Compliments or ladies?”

Laughter bubbled from Blackwall before he could really stop it. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this at ease around someone. And it was amazing he felt this way around the Herald of Andraste of all people. “Both.” 

Suddenly feeling bashful, Blackwall cleared his throat and asked, “So, is there something large and heavy you need moved?”

The Herald rolled her eyes and beckoned to him, beginning to make her way toward the front gate to Haven. “Why? Is that all you’re good for?”

Her unique, violet colored eyes were crinkled with mirth and Blackwall decided if there was any time it was now. “My Lady, I have to say you are unlike any woman I have—“ He paused when he realized she wasn’t even listening anymore. 

They were standing by the front gate to Haven and Blackwall followed her gaze toward the rows of tents littering the clearing. 

Blackwall realized she was staring at the Commander. The Commander was oblivious to the Herald’s gaze and was leading some new recruits through a drill. He was demonstrating how to do a proper block with a shield. 

The Warden looked between the Herald and the Commander and he deflated a little, but he wasn’t too upset. He couldn’t help it if she was interested in someone else. Blackwall had a feeling that this started long before he joined the Inquisition and he definitely didn’t want to cause trouble. 

“My lady?”

Trevelyan jumped and looked at him. “I’m sorry. You were saying?” 

Maker, she looked so sheepish and bashful that Blackwall was almost tempted to tease her. “I was saying I’m glad I’m following someone like you, my Lady. I think you are just the person we need to help make the changes that need to happen.”

She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear with a shy smile. “Thank you. Hearing you say that is more than what you think, and I can’t thank you enough for joining us. We may need the expertise of a Warden.”

Guilt flushed through him and he did his best to keep it hidden as he held out his arm. “You are most welcome. Shall we get dinner?”

Tessa smiled up at him and linked her arm with his. “Gladly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I don't bring along Blackwall often in the game, the few times I did bring him along were gems. And I honestly like that dialogue between him and the Inquisitor. It shows his smoosh side. Too bad Tessa was already smooshy for someone else.


	20. Josephine Montilyet, Gossip Extraordinaire

Josephine Montilyet wouldn’t call herself a true gossip. 

She only gossiped to find information to play the Game and get an edge when it came to doing her duties. 

But she had to say, gossiping with the Herald of Andraste was a refreshing experience. Tessa Trevelyan grew up in a noble house for 13 years before going to the Circle. She knew enough of the Game and she was still a noblewoman behind her role as a mage. 

Josephine was more than ecstatic to discover that Trevelyan loved talking about clothes just as much as she did. And she loved to drink tea and adored Antivan chocolate. The Ambassador had a feeling they would get along tremendously. 

A much needed break was spent with Tessa sitting in the chair she usually saved for her guests. It was big and comfortable and the Herald looked more than happy to be curled up on it with a cup of tea and a small plate with cookies from the kitchen. Josephine had a feeling she needed this break too. 

“I never considered that type of seam for a gown of that cut,” Josephine was saying, refilling the Herald’s cup. 

“It does wonders for the figure, and it flatters almost everyone. It was all the rage in the Free Marches for a long time,” Tessa answered, taking the cup from her. 

“I’ll have to ask Leliana about that. We may be able to see if we can acquire some of those designs.” 

Trevelyan rolled her eyes. “Yes, because I’m sure we’ll need to go to some nobleman’s soiree to convince him to help us.”

Yes, Trevelyan knew how the Game worked and Josephine couldn’t have been happier. 

“Speaking of that, can we expect anyone from your family to support the Inquisition?”

Tessa hummed in thought before sighing. “I still have contact with my brothers and grandparents. I can ask them the next time I write to them.”

Josephine almost asked about Bann and Lady Trevelyan, but the Herald’s expression told her that wasn’t a pleasant subject. “You have three brothers, correct?”

Tessa perked up at the mention of her brothers. “Yes, there’s Jonathan, the oldest, Oliver, and then Gavin. Jonathan and Oliver help father and Gavin is a Templar. He was in Kinloch Hold when all of this started. I hope he’s alright.”

Josephine made a note to inquire about Ser Trevelyan’s whereabouts to some of her contacts. And Josephine decided this was the perfect time to change the subject. She knew what it felt like to worry for a sibling and it wasn’t a pleasant experience in the least. “I am sorry to hear that. I can only imagine how horrible it must be to not know. Have you had contact with him recently?”

Tessa shook her head, causing her hair to spill over her shoulders. It was the first time Josephine had seen it down and it was beautiful. “I haven’t recently. I will have to ask my other family members if they have heard from him.”

Lady Montilyet suddenly realized she knew nothing about the woman across from her other than what Leliana was able to discover and she knew that must change. This woman had gone through more than any person should endure and Josephine wanted to know what kept her going. “I can’t believe I have never taken time to get to know you. I apologize, Herald.”

Tessa waved the comment off. “It’s fine, Josephine. It’s not like either of us have a great amount of free time.”

“Still, I wish to get to know you.”

A grin came back to the Herald’s face. “What do you want to know?”

Josephine asked what she could about the Trevelyans and then the Circle of Ostwick came up. “Did you get along with the Templars there? Or was it like every other Circle?”

Then, the small tidbit of information Josephine was waiting for came to surface. The Herald had a type. Tessa revealed that she had a crush on the former Knight-Captain of Ostwick and Josephine saw her chance to pounce. There was a betting pool on the Herald and the Commander and Josephine took her bets very seriously. 

“So, it seems you have a type,” Josephine stated with a wink, hoping Tessa would take the bait. 

She did. “What do you mean?”

“The Commander used to be the Knight-Captain of Kirkwall.”

Josephine felt proud of herself when the Herald basically spat out her tea. “I don’t know what you’re implying,” Tessa primly stated, setting her teacup down. 

“We’ve noticed how you two look at each other when they think the other isn’t looking. You have a type.”

“The Commander doesn’t fit my type.”

“Why?”

“He’s not twice my age. He’s only what? 30?”

Josephine couldn’t stop her laughter from bubbling out. “I think it’s cute,” she encouraged, smiling. 

Tessa bit her lip, looking troubled. Josephine stopped laughing, wondering why she looked troubled. 

“It will never work, not matter how cute it may be,” she said glumly, sitting back in the chair. 

“What do you mean?”

Trevelyan sighed and rested her chin in her hand. “Despite the fact he’s not a member of the Order, he’s still a Templar. It won’t work.”

Josephine could see where the Herald was coming from, but she did not believe it applied to the Commander. Surely she noticed how the Commander acted toward her? “How do you know?”

“You do realize how Templars feel about mages?”

“I do, but he has not shown anything of that sort towards you, last I checked,” Josephine smiled before dealing her winning hand, “Or was I just imagining things when he stared at you last week when you returned from the swamp. You looked ghastly, by the way. Leliana and I could smell you across the room.”

Josephine watched as Tessa pondered what she said and she thought the way the woman’s cheeks heated up was adorable. 

“I’m in deep trouble, Josie.”

“I know dear, I hope for the best.”

Josephine would be winning 60 gold pieces if it did.


	21. Tips

Cullen always tried to know what was going on in his camp at all times. 

So, when one of his new recruits told him Tessa and the Iron Bull was practicing in one of the rings, he had to investigate. He finally reached the ring and he watched as the qunari led the mage through various hand to hand techniques. 

“You’re not tiny, but you are small and fast enough to use close combat to your advantage. No one would expect it.” Iron Bull positioned one hand from her staff to his chest. “Use that magic shit without the staff and just screw them over up close instead of far away like some mages. At least that’s what we tell our mages in the Qun.”

Tessa nodded and stepped back, readjusting her grip on her staff. “Alright, let’s try again.”

Cullen watched them go through a few drills and he winced when he saw a mistake only a Templar would notice. She needed to be more patient with one of her spells or it would easily be blocked, giving an opponent the perfect opportunity to attack. Templars had to learn how to hide the tell a mage would need to wait for. It was only a subtle shift in weight, but that little detail could cost a battle. 

“Herald, if I may,” he said, climbing into the ring. 

Tessa jumped at the sound of his voice and she turned quickly to face him. “Yes, Commander?”

Cullen withdrew his sword and got into position, pointing it towards her. “Have you noticed something when fighting Templars, or people experienced with fighting magic?”

Her brows pinched as she thought about it and Cullen had to stop himself from thinking it was cute. He was trying to help for Andraste’s sake. 

“They always seem to block my barrage spell,” she said, finally focusing on him again. 

Cullen nodded and walked over to a stack of shields nearby. He tested the weight of one and turned to face her again. “Templars are taught to hide a shift in their weight when they block against certain spells. If you wait just a little longer, you’ll see it and that is when you attack. The strength and hold behind the shield isn’t as strong.”

Tessa held up her staff and he could feel her magic flare up as she prepared to attack. Cullen thought the lyrium that was still in his body as a blessing still when he fought mages. He made the shift in the weight he spoke of obvious and he was thrilled when she saw it and struck. 

He barely dodged the tongues of flame and quickly regained his balance. 

“You made that obvious, didn’t you?” she asked, leaning against her staff. 

Cullen shrugged and walked toward her. “Just so you can recognize it. It’s impossible to completely hide it, but that’s what it looks like.”

Tessa nodded and looked back at Iron Bull before glancing back at him. “Any other hints, Commander?”

Maker, the way she cheekily grinned as she said his title made his heart race. It became sort of a joke to say their titles to each other now and Cullen secretly loved it. He couldn’t remember the last time he was that comfortable around someone. 

“Yes, one.”

He stepped forward and got her in position, standing right behind her. “When attacking up close, I noticed you had too much of your weight on your back foot. When you twist,” he rested his hands on her hips and leaned against her as he twisted her hips. “Take your power from your legs and hips and shift more or your weight forward. That will give you more force and momentum than swinging with just your arms.”

Iron Bull looked like he was trying not to laugh and Cullen stared at him over Tessa’s head in confusion. 

“Okay,” Tessa squeaked. 

Cullen stepped back and crossed his arms. “Try it.”

The Commander was only satisfied when the Herald was able to deliver a blow against Iron Bull’s shield that clacked throughout the whole camp. Her weight shift and the power behind her swing was perfect. 

“Good job,” he said, stepping around to face her. 

Tessa didn’t meet his eyes for some reason and she quickly said, “I’m going to go get some water.”

Cullen stared, bewildered as the Herald practically sprinted out of the ring. 

“Smooth, Commander. That was really smooth,” Iron Bull laughed. 

Cullen thought about what just happened and he realized what he did. “Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘oh’. You should have seen her face! You sly dog,” the merc said with a wink. 

Cullen buried his face in his hands. Maker, what she must think of him now! Surely she knew he was just trying to help? 

He suddenly remembered how her body felt leaning back against his and his cheeks warmed at the thought. 

“Don’t worry, she enjoyed it too. Now, I’m going to find that redheaded recruit and blow off the tension you two just gave me,” Iron Bull teased, stepping out of the ring himself. 

Cullen stood, dumbfounded, in the middle of the ring. 

Was there even a slight chance she felt the same things he did? 

He couldn’t stop a grin from forming and there was a skip in his step as he walked out of the ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Tessa


	22. That Damn Book

Varric swore one thing at the beginning of this damn mess. 

He was not going to write a book. 

Writing a book was what got him in trouble last time and caused him to end up here. Those thoughts were tested one fateful day in Haven. More neutral mages and Templars were flocking to Haven every day and that caused more fights than anything else. Varric didn’t know how Curly managed to keep order. Maybe it was because the Seeker was stomping around and glaring at everyone too. 

The Herald also had a big part in stopping the fights and keeping the peace and the mages were more likely to listen to her due to the fact she used to be a Circle Mage as well. 

The fateful day Varric was thinking of was just a normal day for him. He was heading toward the front gate so he could bother Curly or ask Tiny more about the Qun, and that’s when he saw it. 

The Herald was a kind, peaceful person. She only started fights when her life was in danger or if she was protecting someone else. 

In this case, that someone else was two children dressed in mage robes. 

The Herald wasn’t that tall either. She had to only be around 5 feet, but there she was, glaring at an almost 7 foot tall Templar. “How dare you! Who do you think you are?!” she was demanding, holding the children close to her. 

“They were playing with their magic! They could have hurt someone,” the Templar growled back, staring down his nose at the children. 

The little boy on the Herald’s left couldn’t have been older than 7 and he was glaring up at the Templar too. The little girl on the right was hiding her face in the bottom of Tessa’s thick coat, and she looked even younger than the boy. 

“They are children,” Tessa snapped, “They’re learning still!”

“They are a threat and a danger to everyone when they act that way. They have to be taught better!”

“And who will teach them? You?! What do you know of magic?” Tessa quipped. 

The Templar stepped closer and towered over the Herald, who didn’t even flinch. 

Varric could only feel admiration for the mage in front of him. Damn, any other mage he knew that WASN’T Hawke would have been cowering even a little. 

Trevelyan only glared back. 

“Mark my words, if you so much as try to touch these children again, I’ll send you to the void myself,” the Herald said evenly. 

Shit, even Varric was afraid. 

The Templar finally faltered and he quickly covered it up with a scoff. “And you have the power to do so?”

To make things even more exciting, Curly’s voice suddenly joined in. “What’s going on here?”

The Templar looked relieved to see the Commander, which Varric knew was going to change pretty damn quick by the way Curly was scowling at him.

“These children,” the Templar spat, “were playing games with their magic without supervision. They were putting everyone in danger.”

Tessa looked like she was ready to claw the asshole’s eyes out. “Because using magic to make and throw snowballs is dangerous,” she sardonically commented, looking at Curly. 

Varric had been more than impressed and surprised by the changes in the Commander. Five years ago, he knew Curly would have full heartedly agreed with the Templar. Now, he looked angrier than a hornet and was starting to stand in front of all three mages protectively. 

The Commander kept glaring at the Templar. “What happened, Herald?” 

Varric knew Curly said Tessa’s title on purpose, because the Templar’s face went white as soon as he said it. 

“I saw this man rough housing these two children and I decided to do something about it,” she calmly explained, glaring at the Templar again. 

Cullen’s brow pinched and his expression remained blank as he stared at the man. “Who’s your Commanding officer?” 

“L-Lysette, sir.”

“Tell her to speak to me immediately. You’re dismissed,” he ordered. 

The Templar opened his mouth to argue, but the bastard knew he was outmatched and he finally slunk away. 

Tessa immediately knelt down next to the children and held out her hand to the little girl. “Can I see your arm?”

The little girl nodded and Tessa helped her take off her thick, outer coat and pull up her sleeve. 

Varric, who decided to get the whole story, stepped closer and he held back a curse when he saw the bruises on the girl’s arm. It was a perfect handprint. 

He saw Tessa’s lips tighten into a thin line before she gently wrapped a hand around the girl’s arm and a soft, green glow came from her hand. 

“What happened?” Varric asked. 

The little boy finally spoke up. “We were just playing with snowballs! I used magic to make one fly and the Templar got mad at us!” The little boy sniffed a little and wiped at his nose. “He should have been tugging at me, not her. I’m the one who cast the spell.”

Cullen surprised Varric again and when he rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You both shouldn’t have got in trouble at all. You did nothing wrong.”

The boy gave Cullen a suspicious look. “I thought you were a Templar too.”

Cullen smirked and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Former.”

Varric almost made a gagging noise when he noticed how the Herald and Commander’s eyes met. Tessa looked so damn surprised and happy and Curly was hopeless. 

“I almost thought you were going to blast the man all the way up the mountain, Herald,” Varric joked. 

Tessa looked over at him with a smirk. “I almost did.”

The little girl finally squeaked out a, “Thank you,” when Tessa was done healing her arm and the Commander helped her back into her coat. 

“I’ll escort them to the head enchanter. I let her know what happened,” Tessa said, standing up and taking the children’s hands. 

“And I’ll speak to Lysette. We have to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Varric decided in that moment that he had to write the damn book because of the changes he saw happening right in front of him. 

He saw a Templar and a Mage defending each other and those weaker than them. 

Varric used to believe that a Templar and a Mage working together was impossible, but he was apparently wrong. 

They said goodbye to him before walking the children toward where the mages were camped and he couldn’t help but smile. 

“Dammit, I owe Hawke 10 silvers,” he chuckled. 

She had bet he would last a few months before he would want to write a book. 

He bet he wouldn’t.


End file.
